Only The Best Travel
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/header-domincan-republic-TROPVACAY0522-87b0a89bfe314f96a11a6fabc90f5470.jpg?w=760&resize=760,400&ssl=1 "29 Best Tropical Vacations Around the World")
When a warm-weather getaway is calling, set your sights on the best tropical vacation spots around the world, and aim close to the equator to maximize visions of palm trees, balmy waters, and cute cocktails. From French Polynesia to the Caribbean and beyond, read on …
Sign up to Simon Calder’s no cost journey email for weekly specialist advice and revenue-conserving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Journey e-mail Simon Calder, also identified as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been producing about vacation for The Independent considering that 1994. In his …
Singer Bob Marley perhaps summed up Jamaica’s laid-back vibes best when he crooned, “Don’t worry about a thing.” With sugary beaches lapped by clear waters and verdant mountains, Jamaica promises the quintessential Caribbean vacation. There are delicious seafood and jerk dishes to sample and vivid sunsets that should be taken in at a beachfront bar to the sound of mellow reggae beats.
The third largest island in the Caribbean, Jamaica has diverse landscapes and intriguing culture and history. Your vacation can be intrepid and adventurous or all-out luxurious. The best hotels and resorts in Jamaica offer friendly service, beautiful beaches, world class spas and wellness programs as well as activities for kids, golfers and more. Here are our picks for the 10 best Jamaican Resorts.
Round Hill Hotel’s candlelit reception area sets the tone for a magical stay.
COURTESY
Who Will Love It: Detail oriented couples and families
All-Star Amenities: Spa with Elemis aromatherapy products; pickleball and tennis courts; fitness center; childcare
What Not To Miss: Monday night’s candlelit beach barbecue by the sea
Location: Hopewell
On Jamaica’s North Coast just west of Montego Bay lies one of Jamaica’s original luxury resorts. Round Hill Hotel and Villas, which cascades down a hillside to a secluded beach, opened in 1953. The property known for refined tropical elegance has 27 privately owned villas and 36 oceanfront rooms and suites designed by Ralph Lauren. The concierge team can arrange dinners in private villas and organize outings like a swim in a bioluminescent lagoon or a bespoke coffee tour in the Blue Mountains.
The Round Hill Spa, inside an 18th-century home with a private beach, is a property highlight. Dining options include complimentary afternoon tea service and Caribbean seafood grilled over indigenous logwood. While luxurious in every way, Round Hill Hotel is also family-friendly. Active families can play pickleball and tennis, and go waterskiing, tubing and kneeboarding in the bay.
Half Moon is located on one of Jamaica’s most beautiful beaches.
Jamaica Tourist Board and Half Moon
Who Will Love It: Families and couples looking for fun and refinement
All-Star Amenities: Overwater bungalow treatment rooms in the spa; wakeboarding; scuba diving; equestrian center
What Not To Miss: Seeing baby sea turtles hatch with the resort’s conservation program
Location: North Coast
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, JFK and Jacqueline are among the esteemed guests who have checked in to storied Half Moon. Today’s guests are a mix of active families and couples looking for a Caribbean vacation with no shortage of entertainment on and off the soft sand. Families can spend their vacation lounging or staying active on the two-mile-long beach. Kayaks, pedal boats, standup paddleboards and snorkeling gear are all free for guests to enjoy. Guests can also visit the resort’s equestrian center and take a lesson in go for a beach ride that might include splashing in the surf.
Guest rooms in the Great House mix contemporary and classic touches, with four poster beds and private balconies with plush lounge chairs overlooking the sea. The resort’s extravagant Rose Hall Villas with five to seven bedrooms offer space and seclusion. Dining options range from a casual barbecue spot to the romantic Sugar Mill restaurant. Some you time in Fern Tree Spa’s tropical gardens after a treatment in an overwater bungalow is worth arranging childcare for.
Goldeneye accommodations, which include lagoon-and beachfront bungalows and villas, have outdoor tubs and netted canopy beds.
Brie Williams
Who Will Love It: Vacationers who are all about barefoot elegance, salty hair and beach time
All-Star Amenities: Spa with healing elixirs made from herbs and roots grown at the resort’s farm; kayaking; paddleboarding; clifftop views; lagoon
What Not To Miss: Swimming in the resort’s Lagoon, fed by fresh spring water and the sea; the sunset at Firefly a 15-minute drive from Goldeneye
Location: Oracabessa Bay
Some of Jamaica’s most stunning beaches await just east of Ocho Rios along the quieter sands of Oracabessa. It’s fitting that one of Jamaica’s most legendary hotels sits here too. Goldeneye, British author Ian Fleming’s original estate—where he reportedly created James Bond—is now a luxurious hotel with lagoon cottages, beach villas and beach huts. Goldeneye’s casually luxurious accommodations have outdoor tubs and netted canopy beds.
Low Cay Beach at Bizot Bar serves ackee and saltfish for breakfast, and the Bamboo Bar has rum drinks, Red Stripe beers and Jamaican jerk. Field Spa is situated in a cottage at the edge of the resort’s lagoon and offers wraps, facials and massages using herbs and roots grown in the property’s gardens. Staff can arrange a visit to Firefly, the modern home that was once owned by writer Noël Coward, which has one of the best sunset views in Jamaica. From the James Bond connection to the private lagoon accommodations, it’s hard to imagine a more seductive stay than Goldeneye.
Geejam Hotel’s private villas have housekeeping staff and a private chef.
COURTESY
Who Will Love It: Free spirts and creative couples looking to escape the masses
All-Star Amenities: Recording studio; gym; private beach; over-sized showers; cryptocurrency accepted
What Not To Miss: Sipping a negroni surrounded by rainforest and sea views at the Bushbar
Location: Port Antonio
Tucked away in the foothills of the Blue Mountains outside of Port Antonio—Jamaica’s mellow and scenic Northeast Coast—Geejam pairs rockstar vibes with cozy accommodations for stylish couples. Rihanna and Drake are among the major names who have recorded in the hotel’s onsite music studio—music industry vets Jon Baker and Steve Beaver developed the property—and rustic cabins that feel like fantastical tree houses have names like Ska, Rocksteady and Drum and Bass. High rollers can book a private villa with housekeeping staff and a private chef.
While far-flung, couples that venture to Geejam Hotel will enjoy peace and solitude while taking a dip in the infinity edge swimming pool with sea and rainforest views or venturing down to Geejam’s Bay, the natural cove a short walk from the hotel. Geejam Hotel provides the antitheses of the cookie cutter honeymoon experience and a vacation that is delightfully unscripted.
With two, three, four and six bedroom villa accommodations, Bluefield’s Bay is ideal for large families and multigenerational groups.
COURTESY
Who Will Love It: Families looking for the ultimate multigenerational luxury escape
All-Star Amenities: Villa accommodations with swimming pools; dedicated butlers; private beach
What Not To Miss: A sunset cruise on the resort’s private boat
Location: Jamaica’s South Coast
A stay at Bluefields Bay on Jamaica’s South Coast near Savanna La Mar is relaxing and indulgent. Guests settle into one of six secluded villas overlooking the sea. The Jamaican estate has flower-lined pathways, and staff anticipate guests’ every need. The luxurious villas have two, three, four and six bedroom layouts; it is ideal for multigenerational gatherings when groups want some privacy but to come together throughout the day for activities and Caribbean influenced meals prepared by private chefs.
Staff can arrange professional nannies to watch children so adults can enjoy some grown-up relaxation time at the pool or private beach. The resort even caters to seniors with elder care services.
From the littlest guests to grandparents, every guest can enjoy their vacation at Bluefield’s Bay and choose from a wide variety of activities like snorkeling in the Caribbean’s warm waters, floating above coral reefs in a glass bottom boat, playing tennis or hiking in the surrounding hills.
The Tryall Club has luxurious villa accommodations.
COURTESY
Who Will Love It: The family golfer who aims to please everyone and play as much as possible
All-Star Amenities: Audubon-certified golf course; pickleball concierge; villa accomodation
What Not To Miss: Improving your game with a small-group lesson from the Golf Academy
Location: Sandy Bay
The Tryall Club just west of Montego Bay is known for timeless Jamaican glamour. The hotel has 92 luxurious and privately owned villas spread throughout its beachfront grounds. Each comes with a butler, chef, housekeeper, laundress and gardener.
The resort spans 2,200 tropical acres overlooking the Caribbean Sea and feels more like a neighborhood than a hotel. Golfers can spend the bulk of their days playing the Montego Bay Golf Course. The Ralph Plummer-designed course winds its way through the grounds of the 17th-century sugar plantation. The Golf Academy has expert instruction for all handicaps and skill levels.
The Tryall Club’s other amenities include a Beach Club with an infinity edge pool overlooking the beach and a water sports facility with kayaks, Hobie Cats and paddleboards. There’s even a pickleball concierge. The informal beachfront restaurant serves Jamaican dishes, burgers and pizzas, while at the more formal Great House, a bar and restaurant in a hilltop mansion built in 1834, serves complimentary afternoon tea service on the veranda at 4 p.m.
Rockhouse Hotel’s dramatic location and clean-lined design make it a special stay.
Design Hotels
Who Will Love It: Escapists
All-Star Amenities: Private villa-style accommodations with thatched roofs; sea views
What Not To Miss: Getting a Blue Mountain coffee scrub spa treatment in the garden spa
Location: Negril’s West End
With a cliff top location overlooking a quiet cove and stone and thatched roof villas built atop the volcanic rocks, Rockhouse is one of Jamaica’s most seductive stays. A Negril mainstay for couples in search of escapism, the property has a gorgeous infinity edge swimming pool overlooking the Caribbean Sea. To access the turquoise waters below to swim, guests can walk down sheer steps cut into the cliff face.
The boutique hotel’s 40 guest rooms and villas are furnished with custom-made furniture made of local wood. The architects and designers were inspired by simple lines, nautical forms and nature. Guests can lounge on private terraces and balconies overlooking the calm waters of Pristine Cove, where snorkeling among tropical fish is a favorite pastime. Paddleboards—complimentary for guests to use—are another fun way to get out on the water.
Experience true vacation relaxation while sipping a tropical daiquiri in a lounge chair by the pool or book a massage or scrub using locally grown coffee at the resort’s serene spa. Every guest should carve out time to spend on the golden sands of nearby Seven Mile Beach before returning to their villa to soak in the sunset and warm sea breezes.
Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall has Zen spa treatment rooms with views of the sea.
C2A STUDIO LLC
Who Will Love It: Couples looking for an adults-only vacation with great group amenities
All-Star Amenities: Nightly performances like live theater and Jamaican street music; spa with 11 treatment rooms; beach and pool cabanas
What Not To Miss: Sipping a cocktail by a fire pit overlooking the soft sand beach
Location: Montego Bay
Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, an all-inclusive and adults-only property in Montego Bay, is popular for weddings and conferences for a reason. The resort has tons of appealing amenities for big groups from nightly entertainment to a spa with treatment rooms overlooking the water. The property’s 344 rooms and suites have private balconies with ocean or garden views. Swim-up suites are a worthy splurge with private pools and butler service.
Restaurants are better than typical all-inclusive options and include the fine French restaurant Petit Pariz, an open-air Jamaican restaurant overlooking the beach and DiRosa Italian, which serves wood-fired pizzas and grilled seafood. Bars scattered throughout, including two swim-up pool bars, English sports pub and a piano bar make it easy to party from day into night. Live music and performances are offered each evening too.
All S Hotel Jamaica’s guest rooms have big windows and dedicated workspaces.
COURTESY
Who Will Love It: Travelers looking to mix business with pleasure in a beachfront setting
All-Star Amenities: Spa; dedicated workspaces; yoga mats; airport transfers can be arranged
What Not To Miss: A sunrise swim in the sea at Doctor’s Cave Beach; the subterranean bathing circuit and saunas at Irie Baths and Spa
What Not To Miss: Montego Bay
S Hotel Jamaica is a central and urban beachfront base along Montego Bay’s famous Doctor’s Cave Beach. All 120 rooms and suites are bright with crisp white linens and big windows that let in lots of natural light and views of the Caribbean Sea and the city. All accommodations include complimentary WiFi, multi-plug USB connection device, dedicated workspaces and air conditioning so worker bees can stay comfortable. Business travelers can spend their downtime exploring the surrounding entertainment zone, the Hip Strip or by sipping a cocktail at the poolside bar overlooking the beach or de-stressing in the saunas. The hotel’s gorgeous underground wellness area Irie Baths and Spa is designed to look like a natural cave.
Many restaurants are a short walk away on the Hip Strip, but the hotel’s lobby bar and Rocksteady restaurant serve regional and international dishes with a focus on seafood.
Tensing Pen epitomizes rustic-chic.
COURTESY
Who Will Love It: Bohemian beach travelers
All-Star Amenities: Massage hut; yoga; spa; sea views
What Not To Miss: Complimentary daily yoga sessions in an open-air hut
Location: Negril’s West End
Cottages hand-built from stone, bamboo and thatch dot the cliff top at Tensing Pen, a rustic-chic resort with a wellness focus on Negril’s West End. Travelers looking for a reset can enjoy quiet sunrise swims in the sea, yoga sessions with salty breezes and a healing massage in an oceanfront treatment hut.
And while it is a wellness resort, Tensing Pen isn’t too strict or stringent. Refreshing dark and stormies are the open-air bar’s specialty, and the Lodge restaurant serves decadent dishes like grilled Caribbean lobster. The concierge can help you book off-property activities too like organic farm tours, horseback riding on the beach and waterfall treks.
I’ve dedicated my career to covering travel as a freelance writer since 2000 when I quit my first (and only) desk job to travel the world. I visited Indonesia, Fiji and Australia as a budget backpacker, and I have lived in Sydney, Southern France, coastal New Zealand and my current home, Florida. I have explored all corners of the U.S. and the Caribbean including the island of Jamaica, which is one of my favorite destinations. You’ll find me reporting on such diverse travel topics as scuba diving, educational vacations and cultural trends in publications like CNN, National Geographic, The Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, AARP and many others.
Comment on this tale Remark If you are contemplating a vacation to Italy — and you have deep reserves of patience — Sicily’s tourism business will spend for a chunk of your stay to contain the dreamy Mediterranean island in your plans. Beneath its See …
When I acquired A Diver’s Guideline to the Globe: Remarkable Dive Journey Locations Above and Beneath the Surface area, I envisioned possibly a huge espresso-desk photograph reserve or just one of all those compact pocket guides that seem to be to be the ubiquitous structure …
The fantastic pairing of lavish hospitality with a beautiful, serene beach front is easy to discover in the course of the East Coast of the United States. From lobster-laden Maine down to sunny Florida, there is a selection of 5-star and luxury resorts sprinkled along the coastline. You will not only bask in the posh facilities that arrive with a substantial-conclude hotel, but you are going to also locate that you’re ways from plunging into the invigorating Atlantic Ocean. When you’re exploring for ocean sights to major off your getaway to a luxurious resort, these are the best accommodations on the East Coast.
Subscribe to Observer’s Life-style Newsletter
Often rated the greatest resort for championship golf, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golfing Resort in South Carolina has all the things you need for the ideal remain. Every spacious space and suite inside of the making developed like a Southern mansion has a private balcony and quaint, subtle decor. Amongst the constructing and the seashore are household-helpful and older people-only pools entire with umbrellas, lounge chairs and towels. You’ll delight in the comfort of poolside eating at the Loggerhead Grill. In cooler climate, company appreciate the indoor swimming pool that provides older people-only hrs and aquatic lessons.
The Sanctuary shows its 5-star hues with complimentary use of the resort’s fleet of Volvo cars for attendees. You will absorb the vibes of the peaceful on-web page spa as you dip into the mineral whirlpool or unwind in the sauna and steam area. The Spa at the Sanctuary offers a long listing of treatment plans. The Sanctuary has various on-site and award-successful golfing programs and 22 tennis courts that have acquired the accommodation the label as the very best tennis vacation resort in the globe. Guests enjoy the a variety of bars and restaurants discovered through the assets and golf programs.
Most folks have identical feelings when they listen to, “the Hamptons.” You’ve most likely listened to of the opulence that characterizes the pristine New York locale, including miles of completely trimmed hedge surrounding magnificent residences. The Hamptons also boasts leading-rated beaches and exceptional surf. If you journey a few hours from New York Metropolis out to The Conclude, you will locate 5-star Gurney’s Resort and Spa. Not only is Gurney’s sure to remember to, it is also the sole 5-star hotel on the seashore in the Hamptons.
As you move on to the sand, you will be greeted with the availability of a beachfront cabana and desk for dining. Back inside the vacation resort, the heat and comforting spa characteristics an indoor saltwater pool. Friends loosen up on plush lounge chairs lined in front of partitions of glass that provide panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Gurney’s offers a range of wellness treatment plans and classes, as well as a 24-hour fitness middle. When you’ve labored up an urge for food, the on-web site cafe, Scarpetta, delights with Italian delicacies and ocean views. Outside the house, attendees love the tranquility of sitting hearth when listening to the waves crash on the shore.
Southern hospitality and 5-star luxurious merge at this sprawling oceanfront resort that includes championship golfing and a beach front club. The Sea Island Resort provides 5 miles of non-public beach and options many accommodation kinds on its grounds that are rated 5 stars by Forbes. As you travel by an oak tree-lined route, The Lodge and its tranquil fountains appear into view. The creating is a stately boutique lodge with butler provider, distinctive access to the Beach Club and on-web page golfing study course, pool, and eating.
Also on the resort assets is The Cloister, an beautiful making nestled among the a landscape crammed with marshes, the river and the ocean. The Cloister offers a concierge, non-public use of the Beach Club, and an on-web-site cafe and pool. For the most lavish keep, reserve just one of the two to 8-bed room cottages at Sea Island Vacation resort. No subject which lodging you pick, you’ll love visiting the Forbes Five-Star spa on the residence, which options a assortment of exclusive hydrotherapy treatment plans.
As you wander by means of the doorways of Faena in energetic Miami Seaside, you will be hit with an opulent and artistic sea of crimson and gold decor. You are in the lap of luxurious as a visitor of Faena, the to start with of its type to be rated 5 stars by Forbes in its rookie calendar year immediately after opening. The resort overlooks the brilliantly blue ocean that hugs its committed beachfront lined in umbrellas and lounge chairs. Visitors take pleasure in lying on the seaside with food and beverages in hand thanks to beachside support. If you want to just take a crack from the seashore, just off the sand is Faena’s elegantly formed pool surrounded by loungers, umbrellas, and private cabanas outfitted with minibars and butlers.
The vacation resort showcases quite a few on-web-site bars and dining establishments flocked in vibrant colors, highlighting spectacular decor. The tasteful guest rooms have the exact creative decor and colour palette as the relaxation of the hotel and function bay or ocean sights. Be guaranteed to admire the jaw-dropping metallic wooly mammoth skeleton sculpture established by Damien Hirst. The art set up is coated in 24-karat gold and serves as the assertion piece for its bordering backyard garden at the vacation resort.
This historic constructing exudes the quaint historic and elegant feel that is iconic to Nantucket. The shingle-covered assets sits on top of lush green grass that blankets the island regarded as a top summertime destination. The Wauwinet is a seasonal 5-star oceanfront resort with a large selection of sleeping quarters that includes standard cottage decor. The visitor rooms range from typical-sized lodge rooms to spacious suites in cottages. Struggling with the primary constructing is a personal rental residence owned by the assets that boasts three bedrooms.
Activities abound at this New England resort. You will get pleasure from the non-public shorelines, tennis court, bicycles and concierge expert services. Visitors also have access to drinking water sports, together with kayaking and paddleboarding. On-web page eating features Topper’s, which AAA selected a 5-Diamond restaurant. The cuisine capabilities beautiful wine and nearby dishes, significantly seafood and new deliver. You’ll enjoy the complimentary boat shuttle that will take company to and from the cafe.
This is the fantastic oceanfront South Carolina resort if you’re seeking for a house with various bedrooms. Bali Bay Beach Resort’s accommodations have a modern-day decor with delicate beachy colours and quality finishes like granite and marble. Readers enjoy the high ceilings and roomy living area and kitchen area. You can pick from suites with eight, seven, three or two bedrooms with ocean sights. Company marvel at the serene sunsets that sink about the ocean from their private balconies and patios. The home provides a sizzling tub and outdoor pool that are shared amongst all attendees and forget about the Atlantic Ocean.
Hilton Head Island is a peaceful coastal town with properties that blend into the wide variety of trees adorned with Spanish moss that hangs delicately from the branches. The island is recognised for golf, tennis and other out of doors routines, and the 5-star Sea Pines Vacation resort is the fantastic place to continue to be if you want the full Hilton Head knowledge. The relatives-welcoming lodging has three nationally-rated championship golfing classes with ocean views. Friends also have accessibility to bicycle rentals, a gym, the oceanfront Seashore Club with a variety of dining places, horseback using and trails. You are going to be ready to use the grand outside swimming pool that delivers a portion committed to youthful little ones. The resort offers both standard visitor rooms and suites as effectively as non-public household and villa rentals.
When the warm sunshine of Florida beckons you to the wonderful beaches and luxurious purchasing in Palm Beach front, a keep at the Four Seasons is guaranteed to elevate your encounter. Your getaway to the 4 Seasons in Palm Seaside will be packed with 5-star amenities including a large-conclusion spa and high-quality dining encounters. The spa features pure treatment options that use ocean h2o and minerals, as nicely as a comprehensive-company hair salon and manicure station. The on-web page restaurant, Florie’s, is chef Mauro Colagreco’s 1st in the United States.
As a guest of the Four Seasons, you will soak up the solar on poolside cabanas or lounge chairs gracing the attractive Palm Seaside sand. The vacation resort presents tennis, health and fitness lessons, a boutique and an on-web page perfumery. The household-helpful accommodation supplies rentals for kayaking, paddleboarding, and boogie boarding, as properly as seaside volleyball, basketball, croquet and soccer. Kids will really like the spouse and children pool, and older people searching for peace and silent can unwind by the grownups-only pool. The 4 Seasons even has an participating childcare plan for ages 4 by 12 many years old on Saturday nights.
